DENORMS CA15125 - Call for

Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) Applications

Call for STSM Applications for missions occurring between 1st May 2019 and 8th March 2019. All STSM activities must occur in their entirety within the specified dates.

NB: STSM are contractual. Once the STSM is approved, the grantee has the responsibility to perform his/her STSM as described in his/her application (no modification of duration, dates, work plan allowed). If a STSM is not performed, the applicant will not be eligible to receive DENORMS funding for the whole duration of the Action. 

Purpose of a Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM)

STSM facilitates Researchers from COST Countries participating in COST Action CA15125 to go to an institution, organisation or research centre in another participating COST Country to foster collaboration and to perform state-of-the-art research. Participation of “Early Career Investigators” (ECI) is particularly encouraged^[1]. PhD students are also eligible to partake in STSM.

Specific information concerning STSM

STSM can have a duration of between 5 days and 90 days (up to 180 days if the applicant is an ECI).

The financial support is a contribution to the overall expenses incurred during the STSM and may not necessarily cover all of the associated outgoings. It is limited to cover travel, accommodation and meal expenses and is paid in the form of a Grant.

The following funding conditions apply and must be respected:

1. up to a maximum of EUR 2 500 in total can be afforded to each successful STSM applicant;

2. up to a maximum of EUR 160 per day can be afforded for accommodation and meal expenses;

3. for ECIs, a maximum amount of EUR 3500 can be afforded to the Grantee for STSM with a duration of between 91 and 180 days – For ECIs partaking STSM with a duration of between 5 and 90 days, the limit of EUR 2 500 must be respected;

4. STSM activities must occur in their entirety within the dates specified in this call.

The amounts granted for each STSM have been determined by the STSM Committee as follows:

* Group 1: Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, IPC / Group 2: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain / Group 3: Greece, ITC

For this call, the Management Committee of COST Action DENORMS CA15125 has allocated a total budget of 30 000 EUR. The selection of applicants is based on the scientific scope of the STSM application which must clearly compliment the overall objectives of the Action.

How to apply for an STSM

Interested researchers can apply by following the directions provided below and encoding an STSM application on e-COST, 45 to 90 days before the start of the STSM.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS AS FOLLOWS

1. Applicants must carefully read the funding rules detailed in Section 7 of the COST Vademecum (http://www.cost.eu/participate/guidelines).

2. Applicants must register and add their bank account details on e-COST (https://e-services.cost.eu/).

3. Applicants must obtain a letter of invitation from the Host institution confirming that they can undertake the STSM on the given dates prior to submitting an application.

4. Applicants must complete, submit and download their STSM applications on www.cost.eu/STSM with the supporting documents 45 to 90 days before the start of the STSM:

• A letter of support from the Home Institution;
• Written agreement from the Host institution that the activities detailed in the STSM work plan can be performed on the agreed dates;
• A full C.V. (including a list of academic publications – if applicable).

5. The application will be assessed by the formally delegated STSM Committee against the perceived contribution that the proposed visit will make against the scientific objectives outlined in the Action’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

6. The applicant will then be formally notified of the outcome of their STSM application (with a feedback of the STSM Committee) by the STSM manager (keith.attenborough@open.ac.uk).

7. Within 30 days from the end date of the STSM, the successful applicant must submit on e-COST a scientific report and a letter/email from the host institution approving the report. A scientific report template is available on the online (http://www.cost.eu/STSM_report_template). Failure to submit the scientific report within 30 days from the end date of the STSM will effectively cancel the Grant.

8. STSM manager approves or rejects the scientific report and the Grant Holder process the payment.

Deliverable for all STSM performed under DENORMS Action include:

• 1 page scientific report that will be shared with Action participants on the website restricted area
• 5 lines summarising the STSM to be published on the Action website with a photo
• 1 article or at least a conference proceeding submitted.

(Please note that the COST Association can request additional information to substantiate the information contained within the documents submitted by STSM applicants).